Life Moves Forward
by FireStorm1991
Summary: In times of loss and turmoil, one can lose oneself along the way. Though life can never be the same, young Gohan needs to find his own way, but first he must cope with his worst challenge yet: learning to live life without his father.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters.

So, I hadn't wanted to start a new story when I have so many unfinished, but I did get rid of a bunch of stories and, honestly, I needed to write this. My usual readers and friends or whoever viewed my profile know that I have been dealing with the loss of my estranged father. Most of the stories I have written in the past I just can't focus on right now. I won't be forgoing any of my old stories really, as most of them have updates waiting (I'm just waiting to post to ease myself back into regularly posting). I have grad school and other life events I'm dealing with as well, and sometimes it's hard to focus. I thank everyone for their patience and support while I make this transition.

* * *

Not even a week had passed since the Earth's hero, Son Goku, had made the ultimate sacrifice. His attempt to spare the world had backfired, though his young son had fulfilled his goal, defeating the android, Cell, and preventing his reign of terror. Victory belonged to the boy; however, it held a bitter taste. His father was dead, and he believed it to be his fault.

Son Gohan, eleven years old, was a half-human, half-Saiyan boy who held extraordinary power. At a young age, he was trained to look out for himself in preparation to battle other Saiyans. He had seen death at the age of four, watched the friends of his father and his friend and mentor die at Nappa's hand. On Namek, he had witnessed mass genocide as sadistic aliens made a game of getting the Dragon Balls. Before Cell ever came along, Gohan was haunted by those images, though he usually tried to ignore them and play them off.

He could never ignore his father's death.

Every time he tried to sleep, he would have haunting dreams. He couldn't forget the kind, soft gleam in his father's eyes as he instructed him to take care of his mother and told him he was proud. He dreamt of the instant his father left, knowing he would never come back to him. Then, his father was given another chance to return to Earth and he didn't take it.

Was his father really proud of him or were his words just that, words a parent used to comfort their child despite their validity? Goku had said that he wanted to remain dead since all of Earth's enemies continued to come after him. It was faulty logic, especially since Earth needed a protector.

Gohan's thought process lately had been about figuring out his father and getting over his guilt. His father hadn't needed to die, he continued to tell himself. Cell had been desperate because the half-Saiyan boy had the power to end him but didn't. He had wanted to make Cell pay for every life he took. He wanted to torture him.

He had nightmares that majority of his life. Who wouldn't after seeing the things he had? War veterans who had experienced tragedies in their adulthood had difficulties dealing with the memories. Gohan's consolation was that he knew they were memories and that he was stronger than before, much stronger, but his nightmares were getting worse. Sometimes he would have dreams where he switched roles with the enemy. The reason he was awake was that he dreamed of his father fighting Cell, losing, begging for his child to stop him. He had woken up before he learned what his decision was, but what upset him was that he felt anger and resentment towards his father.

In his studies, he had learned about the grieving process. His mother had explained it when he was in the hospital after the Saiyans had come. He had been devastated over losing Piccolo, but that's why he went to Namek. He knew he could bring his mentor back.

But the grieving process, he knew anger was normal. He knew mixed emotions were normal. He knew it would be a long time before he felt normal again, but apparently that was normal. It didn't feel normal to him.

"Daddy," he whimpered quietly as his tears fell, "why? Why did you leave me?"

But he knew the answer; he had already been given an answer, but he didn't know if he could trust it to be true. He couldn't accept it. The wind picked up as he looked up into the moonless sky. Perhaps he would never know the real answer.

Tired from the lack of sleep and the late-night reflections, Gohan decided to distract himself. As a young child he always had schoolwork, but not really any hobbies. At first he hated Piccolo's survival training, but he grew to see training as more of a hobby than schoolwork (though truthfully it was more of necessity than a hobby). It was something he and his father had even bonded over, both during the three years preparing for the androids, and then in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Gohan realized that he had gotten another year with his father, more than what any of the others had. It still didn't make the heartache go away. They were always training to protect their lives and the lives of those around them.

There had only been two paths for Gohan, studying and training. In that moment of the night, he wanted to feel close to his father. His mother had never approved of his training in the past and, with his father gone, he expected her to be more against it. That's why he trained in secret in the cover of night. Breathing out a sigh, he entered his home from the roof and changed clothes before going deeper into the forest, further away from his home.

He started out with some basic exercises to warm up before getting serious. He launched punches, kicks, and ki blasts at the air. It helped to get out some of his anger, but then he would feel guilty for experiencing that anger. Making a simple move put him back in the ring with Cell. The boy remembered his rage. With time to reflect on what he felt then, he realized that it somewhat frightened him.

He wished his dad was with him now to help him learn to control what he felt, but he was on his own now. The darkness in his heart and the bitterness he felt towards his father wasn't something he could discuss with his mother. Feeling lost and alone, Gohan's training ceased. He wept that night as he fell asleep in a grassy bed. His heart was broken, and the young boy feared how long it would take to heal...if it ever would.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters.

I was going to wait a bit before I posted this chapter, at least until I had another chapter written since it took me so long to bring myself to write this one, but I felt like posting another chapter. Hopefully, I will get next chapter written soon.

* * *

Since her husband's death, Chi Chi Son had been less stringent with her son's schoolwork, though she did tell him to do it. In her mind, he needed the distraction, but it wasn't something they discussed. At times, Chi Chi felt like her little boy was pulling away. He only interacted with her during meals and he remained very quiet as they ate with less fervor than anyone had ever eaten anything in the house. Nothing, not even meals, were the same now that Goku was gone.

It had been a month now, and Gohan was still reluctant to do the work. Becoming a scholar or fighter (AKA "rebel") was always a hot issue in the household. Gohan could sometimes hear his mother's insults or his father's oblivious comments. Hitting the books would not be a good distraction. Neither was training for that matter. Gohan couldn't get past the fight with cell, but he wanted to. After finally conforming to Piccolo's training to protect his mother and the Earth from the Saiyans and, of course, Namek, Gohan had continued training to bond with Goku. Yes, he, his father, and Piccolo were training to fight the Androids, but now there was peace and no need for training. Still, he wanted to be close to Goku. He wanted to get over what was holding him back and train. He wanted to be himself again. He didn't know who that was anymore.

He remembered that he hadn't seen Piccolo for a while.

Regardless of how Piccolo was towards Gohan in the beginning, he was still like a second father to the pre-teen. He, too, had sacrificed his life for Gohan. If not for Piccolo, he knew he wouldn't be there, or he would have _after _being wished back with the Dragon Balls.

Looking to his desk full of books, Gohan grimaced. His mother had been more lenient with him, but he was so far behind in her schedule for his study. It really didn't matter to him; he could do everything assigned to him in his sleep. Unfortunately, he would have to suck it up at some point and do the work. His mom wouldn't be this complacent for long.

He slipped into a fresh gi, after glancing at his desk one last time, and climbed out his window. Spending time with Piccolo was one of those things his mother didn't always like. He needed this, though, and he didn't want to be stopped.

* * *

Piccolo had been training in the wilderness during the day while spending time at the Lookout at night. Occasionally, unbeknownst to Gohan and Chi Chi, he would stop by and check up on Gohan. The son of the "Demon King" hadn't grown up with a father, or anyone, and had felt immense jealousy of families. He had been alone in the world, and he had used that bitterness to fuel his desire to rule the planet and destroy Son Goku. That was not what he wanted for Gohan, not that he believed that would happen. But he knew he needed to wait for the boy to come to him in his own time. He would never tell anyone how much it pleased and relieved him to sense the half-Saiyan's energy heading towards him. He smirked as Gohan landed on the plain behind him.

"Hey, kid," the Namekian greeted. "It's been a while."

Shyly, Gohan smiled. He hadn't meant to stay away from his friend and mentor for so long. "I know," he returned. "Sorry, Mr. Piccolo."

"Don't worry about it," Piccolo replied. "And you can stop with the formalities, now. I haven't been your mentor for a long time. There's nothing more I can teach you."

"Okay M-...Piccolo," Gohan tried. It seemed strange to be informal with the Namekian, but things were different now. They were friends, and Piccolo had changed a lot after he fused with Kami. Gohan started to see it when his father had brought Dende. Piccolo seemed a little more laid back with both himself and Dende, almost as if he saw them as his own.

Gohan didn't really know what to say. It had been a lot harder for him to start conversations, even with his own mother. Piccolo understood it. When he had been smaller, he never talked to anyone. There was nothing to say. Honestly, it's why he found solace in wastelands all those years ago. Sometimes being alone was a blessing.

But not for Gohan. If he allowed himself to be alone, he'd pull away. He had been raised differently. He had had both his parents for the majority of his life. Goku had died once, but he had returned and Gohan had known he would return. Even when he was supposed to be training alone, he was pulled to socialize be it an injured dinosaur, a machine, or a band of kids. Shortly after, Piccolo had begun his real training. After that, Gohan had never been truly alone. Even now, Gohan was once again pulling for a connection, even if he couldn't voice anything.

"So, kid," Piccolo said in a forced stern voice, "are you ready to spar?"

Gohan nodded, the small grin still on his face. He honestly didn't know why he had gone to Piccolo, especially when he hadn't been training much on his own. Still, in his mind training meant bonding and connecting, and right now Gohan was in need to connect.

The two stared each other down as they took their defensive postures.

Piccolo observed Gohan's form and saw very little opening for an attack. It showed him just how far the young boy had come. He thought back to the Cell Games, when he had tried to reason with Goku. Gohan had the training of a fighter, and the raw power behind it, but he was not a warrior to the extent that Goku had wanted. It took seeing them all nearly killed to unlock the boy's potential.

Gohan stared back at Piccolo, but he wasn't really paying much attention to his stance. His mind was elsewhere, not on the spar. He was looking at Piccolo, but he wasn't really seeing him. It took the boy by surprise when Piccolo disappeared from his sight, the spar fighting.

He wasn't ready, and Piccolo could tell. Gohan leapt back, abandoning his stance. His arms ended up being crossed over his face to protect him, but that was not a move that would protect him. It reminded Piccolo of when he first trained with the boy, the young five year old covering himself thinking it could protect him from everything. It would have been much easier to fight back, to take the hit and use a ki blast to catch him off-guard. That's what Piccolo had been expecting from Gohan, not his old bad fighting habits.

Gohan had been knocked down as he was hit by Piccolo's swift kick. He knew he should have dodged, but Piccolo had just moved to fast for him to react. Well, at least that was what he perceived. Truthfully, he would have been able to react if his mind had been in it. Lately, he couldn't focus on anything. All he wanted to do was just sit in bed and think, and thinking left him feeling mentally exhausted. Maybe accepting the spar had been a bad idea...

The Saiyan hybrid got back up, his former master watching him intensely. He flash-stepped and charged the Namekian; Piccolo was ready and blocked him with an arm. The Namekian saw the young boy's eyes widen before the two of them began exchange blows. There was no grace or strength behind Gohan's hits. Piccolo couldn't understand why Gohan was getting into bad habits. He had sensed him training alone for a while. There was something else holding him back.

As the Namekian realized this, he took Gohan by surprise and knocked him down into the ground below causing a crater to form. He hoped that the hit would snap Gohan out of whatever trance he was in. His mind clearly wasn't in their spar.

Gohan had been hit down by Piccolo many times before, but he had not been expecting that hit. He rubbed the back of his head cringing. The impact hadn't affected him too much, but he had been hit hard enough for a crater to form. Standing up and pouting, he faced his former master. "You didn't have to hit me that hard, you know."

"Where are you, Gohan?"

The pre-teen's eyes widened as Piccolo asked those words. Blushing ashamedly, he looked away. "What do you mean, Piccolo? I'm right here with you."

"Physically, you're here," the Namekian stated, "but mentally, you are definitely not present. If I was an enemy, you know that this would not be acceptable. I taught you that much, to focus in a fight. What's going on?"

The look in the young boy's eyes as he looked to his former teacher shocked the Namekian. He had only seen Gohan looking like that once before, when he so callously informed him his father was dead. He could tell Gohan was holding back the tears he so desperately wanted to shed. The sound of his voice as he said, "I don't know," could only be described as lost.

Eventually, Gohan fell to the ground, sitting Indian-style. Piccolo followed suit, crossing his arms, waiting for his friend to speak. "I haven't been able to train much," Gohan confessed. "I mean, I've been trying, but I just keep remembering. The dreams don't help much, either."

"Dreams?" Piccolo questioned.

"Memories, mostly," Gohan explained, hiding inside of himself. "Of dad…of Cell…of me failing. I didn't do anything, Piccolo. I…I could have, b-but I didn't. H-He's gone, and part of it is my fault."

"First of all, Gohan," Piccolo spoke up sternly, "it's not your fault. Your father would be the first to tell you that. He doesn't blame you; no one blames you."

Gohan sunk further inside of himself, leaning his chin against his knees. "I know he doesn't, but it doesn't stop the dreams."

Piccolo didn't have much to say in response to that.

The two of them spent time quietly mediating. Gohan hadn't spoken up in hours. There was still something clearly on his mind that meditation would not easily break him out of. "Do you still want to fight?"

That question weighed like a ton of bricks on Gohan's shoulders as his focus turned to the setting sun. He wanted to train, that much he knew, but as for fighting…he just didn't know anymore. As if Piccolo could read his mind, he continued, "That's something you'll have to choose for yourself. Thanks to you, we finally have peace, plenty of time for you to figure out what _you _want."

Gohan hesitantly ask, "And what if I decide that it's not fighting?"

Piccolo looked to the boy and half-smiled. "Kid, you've fought a great deal to defend the planet and, like your father, I know that if it came down to it you'd fight again. Until that day comes, you need to find who you are and what you want. You don't have to follow anyone else's plan. Whatever you choose, I'll support you, and I'm sure your mother would too. This is the time for you to grow. Your thoughts are the only ones that matter."

Hearing Piccolo say all of that relieved Gohan. His entire life had been all about fighting and schoolwork and impressing everyone else…when he wasn't trying to actually survive. He was sort of pushed into fighting when the Saiyans were coming. He had made the choice to go to Namek, though, much to his mother's chagrin. There were very few moments that Gohan was able to choose what he wanted, and he still couldn't figure out what that was.

According to Piccolo, he had time to figure it out.

A small smile appeared on the boy's face as he face his friend. "Thanks, Piccolo," he said confidently, though a few tears could be seen in the corners.

"Heh," the Namekian replied. "Anytime, kid."

* * *

Chi Chi was so worried when she saw that Gohan wasn't in his room. The open window indicated that he went out, but when he left she didn't know. What if he had been off on his own and had gotten into trouble? What if he was hurt? She didn't think she could handle if something happened to her baby, especially not after losing her husband. It was bad enough she had almost lost Gohan at the same time. Had that happened, Chi Chi wouldn't have known what to do.

The sound of the door opening broke her from her thoughts, and she rushed over in time to see her son nonchalantly walking in. The relief she felt couldn't be described. It took all of her willpower to fight back tears. She wasn't even mad that he had gone out without permission. She was just so relieved that he was safe.

"Where were you all day?" she asked as her son was passing her.

Gohan was taken aback at the mild tone of his mother's voice. He was expecting her to snap at him the second he answered. Turning to face her, he saw the fear and the worry, and he realized that she had been scared for him. Part of him felt a little bad for putting that on his mother however unintentional it was. He hadn't meant to worry her.

"_You don't have to follow anyone else's plan. This is the time for you to grow."_

"Sorry, mom," Gohan replied. "I was talking with Piccolo. I'm kind of tired, now. See you in the morning?"

Without giving his mother a chance to respond, Gohan headed up the stairs to his room and curl up in his bed. Despite how upset he still felt, part of him was actually excited about finding himself. He really hoped, though, that it wouldn't take that long…


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters

Hey, everyone, I know it's been a while. Grad school had gotten in the way of many of my stories. I'm now trying to get caught up with my fics. I've gotten almost all of them updated this year. Here's hoping *fingers crossed*

Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing. I hit the one year mark of my father's death, a day on which I posted a one-shot, The One Left Behind. Emotions are still all over the place, but things have been getting better with lots of distractions including graduating from graduate school, my cousin's wedding, moving around a lot, but also getting a really great internship that I'm insanely excited for. I have many chapters of this story planned out, so I hope to be able to focus more on it. I thank everyone for their support and I hope to get better with updating on a regular basis. So, without further ado, here's Chapter 3.

* * *

Though still going through transitions, Gohan had taken Piccolo's words to heart. He still had no idea what exactly he wanted to do with his life, but he did decide to take a break from training. Distancing himself from that part of his life was what he needed to do for some clarity. He still hadn't made any decisions, nor did he plan on making any at the moment. Instead, he started trying to catch up on the work he let pile up. Without his mom forcing him to do it, it was a welcome distraction.

"Gohan," he heard his mother call from downstairs. The demi-Saiyan paused in his work and looked towards his closed door in confusion. It was too early for his mother to be calling him down for lunch. His curiosity overtook him and he quickly raced down the stairs.

"What's up, mom?" Chi Chi looked very tired and worn, he noted and instantly frowned. "Are you okay?"

The mother forced a smile to appear on her face, not really feeling her best that morning. "I'm fine, Gohan," she answered honestly. "I just ordered a small package from the drug store in West City. Would you mind going into town and picking it up for me?"

Gohan smiled kindly at his mother. "Sure, no problem. Do you need me to get anything else while I'm there?"

"No," his mother replied. "Just the package. Thank you, though."

At her rejection to his offer, Gohan decided to head to West City. As he began to fly, he realized that it had been quite a long time since he had called upon the Flying Nimbus. A small smile appeared on his face as he cupped his hands around his mouth yelling out, "Oh, Nimbus!"

Instantly, the orange cloud shot over to him and Gohan descended on top of it. "Alright, Nimbus. Let's head towards West City."

* * *

When he got into the city, he found a discrete place for Nimbus to land before sending the cloud off. He could always call him up later or fly home on his own, though the latter did not appeal to him at the moment. Thankfully, he didn't have to linger on that long. Instead, he focused on picking up his mother's order from a drug store. The pre-teen handed the money he had been sent with to pay for the package, and the cashier smiled at him and said he was a good son. He forced a smile, feeling a small jab in his heart. He hated thinking this way, but it was the truth. A good son wouldn't have toyed with Cell. A good son would have ended it before anyone else had to die, his father included.

His mind was lingering in dangerous territory, and he needed a distraction. Whenever he needed a distraction in the past, he would train, but now he needed something more real and less mind-numbing. _Hey, this is West City, _he reminded himself. _I can go see Bulma and Trunks._

He hadn't seen either of them since Future Trunks returned home after Cell's defeat. It had been kind of strange, now that he thought of it. Why hadn't he thought to visit them sooner? Well, at least he thought of it now as he ran into an alleyway to sneak away and fly to Capsule Corp.

* * *

Things had been eerily quiet around her home. Ever since Goku had died, there was rarely a hum in the GR. Vegeta barely made a sound. Bulma herself was struggling, just trying to keep her mind busy. The only noise she could count on was Trunks's cries in the middle of the night, her mother's chatter that seemingly never ended, and the sound of metal clanking against each other as she worked, maybe even the sound of pages turning from her magazines or her father's paper. The house did not feel as lively as it had been before.

Strangely enough, a knock sounded on the door and she paused in her reading. _Huh, that's a new one, _her mind pointed out as she heard someone answering the door. "Oh, Gohan!" she heard her mother greet cheerily. "Why don't you come inside? It's been a while. You've grown so much, haven't you? Why don't you come into the kitchen and have some cookies?"

"No, Mrs. Briefs, that's okay," the child tried to deny. Bulma only smiled as she closed her magazine and started to walk to the door. Gohan would not be able to deny his mother.

"Oh, nonsense! A growing boy like you needs to keep up his strength. You have your father's appetite, after all."

Well, that had done it.

Again, the room grew eerily quiet as Gohan let the woman drag him into the compound. "Mom," Bulma stated, sadly smiling at a startled Gohan, "I can take it from here. Just bring some cookies into the living room."

Gohan was thankful that Bulma had sent her mother away. He didn't fault the woman for not being able to sense his uneasiness, but when she mentioned his father that had sent him reeling with emotion. He looked over to Bulma, who was still wearing a sad smile. "Um, thanks," he said awkwardly.

"No problem, kid," she said softly and warmly. "Let's go sit."

* * *

The two of them were alone in the living room, sitting in silence even after her mother brought cookies into the room. Bulma, knowing her mother would stay out now that she had given them food, asked, "So, kid, how are you and your mom holding up?"

Gohan nibbled on a cookie, not really that hungry but not wanting to be rude. "Some days are better than others," he admitted before changing the subject. "I just had to do something in town and thought it would be nice to visit you and Trunks."

The sounds of Trunks crying instantly rang through the room. "Heh," Bulma chuckled. "Looks like someone's ears were burning during nap time. I'll go get Trunks. Just wait here."

Gohan managed to finish the cookie and reached to take another. His mind was still so clouded and distracted. He didn't even notice that someone else entered the room.

Vegeta had sensed the boy's energy as soon as he touched down. Kakarot's son. The only last remaining being that could provide the Saiyan prince with a challenge. He grimaced at the fact that his greatest rival was gone and left some child in his place. It was true; Gohan had the strength, but lacked the experience. Well, Vegeta could do something to change that. The kid was the only remaining worthy opponent he could ever have.

"Boy," he spat his greeting making Gohan jump. Gohan looked over to Vegeta warily, just staring at him with empty eyes while wondering what the prince wanted. When the child didn't answer, Vegeta scoffed and motioned for him to follow.

Gohan joined Vegeta in the kitchen and sat at the table watching the Saiyan prepare himself something for lunch. "What are you doing here?"

"Me?" Gohan questioned earning a glare from the other Saiyan. "Um, well, I needed to do something for mom, so I decided to say 'hi' to Bulma and Trunks."

"Hn," Vegeta grunted. "Your training?"

Gohan was surprised that Vegeta was attempting to converse with him. It reminded him of when Piccolo came to him not too long ago, but this was different. Vegeta didn't understand human sentiments or mourning, probably… He didn't know that Gohan was trying to find himself.

He didn't know that he hadn't been training much and had stopped all together this past week.

"Uh, well, I haven't really been training much this past week," he said awkwardly. He didn't know Vegeta well, but he did know he took training way past serious. He had been an enemy turned reluctant ally. Gohan would never forget how they fought together against Frieza on Namek or the story the prince had told them. It made him see the prince in a different light, but he still couldn't come out and say that he wasn't sure he wanted to fight anymore.

Vegeta's attention snapped to Gohan. Did the child actually say he hadn't trained for a week? Even Vegeta had been training in the cover of night when no one was awake. Grief was a normal emotion, but avoiding something as important as training…no. No, he couldn't allow that. Even if he hated Kakarot and his spawn, they were still Saiyans. He couldn't allow the human emotions to overcome the half-Saiyan child. He wouldn't even be able to allow that for his own son.

He stopped making his sandwich and turned to face the table where Gohan was sitting. Gohan stared at him with wide eyes as his narrowed. "Gravity Room," he growled. "Now."

Gohan almost gasped, but kept his composure. "But Vegeta, I-"

"Do not let these human sentiments sully what you really are," he ordered. "You are a Saiyan as loathe as I am to admit it, and you will always have the drive and desire for fighting. Until you figure it out, you can't just sit on your ass and do nothing. Now, Gravity Room."

As much as Gohan wanted to avoid it, he followed Vegeta outside to the GR knowing he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. It was probably a mistake, however, maybe training with someone wouldn't be so bad. Of course, Gohan wasn't taking the fact that he wasn't training with his father or Piccolo. He was training with _Vegeta_. Of course it would be a mistake!

But all rationality had left him when they entered the metal sphere and Vegeta turned to face him. He was already in his stance, but Gohan had yet to move. "Well?"

Gohan sighed and fell into a defensive stance. He decided he would just humor Vegeta, fight a little bit, and then leave and return home to his mother. He really hadn't been prepared for Vegeta to go all out in a simple training exercise, which is exactly what the prince did.

Speedily, he charged at the boy who managed to dodge the hit. The two of them exchanged blows, but Gohan was finding the prince to be too intense. Eventually, Vegeta pulled back, ready to shoot a ki blast at Gohan who was just standing there like a deer caught in a headlight. "Why are you barely fighting back, brat?" Vegeta shouted as he sent the blast Gohan's way.

Gohan jumped into the air and out of the way. Noticing what Gohan was about to do, Vegeta had already sent another flare of ki just right above him, pushing the kid back. The demi-Saiyan stood up and went back on the defensive. "Because I'm not sure I want to fight," he whispered to himself with a sigh.

"What was that?" the Saiyan prince shouted as he charged the boy again and smacked him against the metal wall.

"I said 'I'm not sure I want to fight!'"

Instantly, Vegeta pulled away unexpectedly allowing Gohan to drop to the hard floor. The pre-teen looked up at his father's rival, surprised to see him glaring harshly down at him. "You aren't even worth my time."

He left the GR quickly, confusing Gohan as he pounded on the outside of the metal sphere once. _What's his problem? _the demi-Saiyan thought. Gohan knew that he had said the last thing Vegeta wanted to hear, but he still had yet to understand his reaction to it. The prince had seemed more wound up than he had seen him in the last few years. He couldn't have truly been angry at him for his response, right?

Sitting in the empty GR would not get him answers, and he really wasn't looking to run into an angry Vegeta again, so Gohan entered Capsule Corp. again and found Bulma feeding Trunks in the kitchen. "Hey, there you are," Bulma called out. "Come sit down."

Gohan smiled sheepishly and sat in the seat across from Bulma beside Trunks. The baby seemed very happy to see him, laughing and reaching out to Gohan. "Oh, no, mister. You need to finish eating. Isn't it nice that Gohan came to visit us?" The proud mother then looked to Gohan. "By the way, did you want to stay for dinner?"

"I don't think so, Bulma," Gohan replied, "but thank you. I really need to get this package back to mom. I don't even know what it is." The boy saw Bulma grimace slightly when he mentioned the package. "What?"

"It's nothing, sweetie," Bulma assured him. "I just wasn't thinking. Maybe you should call your mom and let her know you stopped by. If it were my son, I'd be worried."

Gohan felt bad that he hadn't really thought about that when he thought to visit, but he knew she was right. "Sure, just give me a moment."

* * *

Gohan had returned home and given the package to his mother who thanked him. She had asked him where he had gone since it was already getting late, so Gohan relayed that Bulma had said 'hello' and to call if she ever needed anything. Chi Chi had given him a hug before she told him she'd be turning in for the night. She told him to get some rest, which he agreed to do, clearly a lie.

He couldn't stop thinking. Gohan remembered a time where he would be able to empty his mind of everything, but now he just couldn't silence his thoughts and fears of the unknown. He decided to do some more of his schoolwork. That would be at least a little distracting, though it too was tedious and mind-numbing.

It was getting later, after the midnight hour, and he was still looking at a page of equations. He had already caught up with his studies and was looking ahead. He simple used his hands as a pillow and glanced over the page, every so often flicking his pencil with his finger very gently, watching the writing utensil roll up and down the inclined plane he set up for his book. Eventually, in his constant thinking and exhaustion, he just passed out there on his books. His mind was silent.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters

Well, it's been a while, but I finally had some time to look at my notes for this chapter. I have up to Chapter 9 planned out, but it's mostly a matter of finding time to write. Things have been busy with me since I have an internship. By Friday, I will have worked for 11 days, and then Saturday is my day off…finally. Anyways, I appreciate any support this story has gotten. As mentioned before, I've been dealing with a lot of these emotions this past year, year and a half. Writing this kind of serves as one of my outlets, as have some of my other stories like The One Left Behind, a one-shot on Future Trunks's and Vegeta's relationship, and then some AUs I have in the Yu Yu Hakusho fandom. Anyways, it's time to end the AN and move on to the chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Gohan was woken up in the middle of the night by a sound he had strangely enough been hearing all week. It was the sound of his mother retching, and it sounded like it was getting worse. The only thought that came to the preteen was that his mother was seriously ill. His chest tightened and he felt pure fear at the thought of losing his other parent. If that happened, he would not be able to take it.

Quietly, he left his room to help his mother. The whole place was dark, but he could easily follow the horrible gagging sounds. In the bathroom, his mother was sitting alone on the floor grasping onto the toilet as she emptied her stomach contents. Gohan cringed, but he sat on the tub beside his exhausted mother and gently started rubbing her back. Apparently, she had been half asleep, because Gohan's heart stopped as she softly uttered the word, "Goku?"

"Ah…" Gohan stuttered out. "Um, no mom. It's me."

Chi Chi seemed to wake up at that and looked up at her son. "Oh, Gohan…I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

Gohan's mouth fell open to retort, but he quickly closed it. How could that be his mother's first concern when she was sitting there in their bathroom getting sick for the past ten minutes? "You've been getting sick a lot," Gohan pointed out. "You should really go to a doctor."

He saw her expression soften, but knew by the look on her face what she was about to say. "Gohan, I'm fine."

Her son looked over to the toilet and glared. "Right, because people throw up like this every day. You're not fine, mom."

She took his hand in hers and smiled. "Gohan, I swear to you I'm fine. I promise. I'm okay. Everything is going to be okay." Instead of waiting for Gohan's response, she finally stood up, the wave of nausea gone. She flushed the toilet and moved to wash her face, and Gohan just stared at her as she acted normally.

Despite his mother's assurance that all was well, Gohan didn't buy it at all. It was clear to him that his mother was sick. Did she just not care about her health? Did it have anything to do with his father being gone? Why wasn't his mother taking this more seriously? He couldn't lose her, too. She had to understand that.

But his mother left him alone with his thoughts. Maybe she was just out of it because it was so late. She did call him Goku when he entered the room. It was possible that she wasn't thinking clearly at that moment. Maybe he could try talking to her again in the morning, when she was more awake.

Settling with that, Gohan decided to try to fall back to sleep. Of course, his mind was not so silent this time and he lied in bed awake hoping that his mother would be okay.

* * *

Later, Gohan went into the kitchen as soon as he hear his mother stirring. He frowned when he saw her at the sink washing dishes looking incredibly worn out. Why was she doing chores when she should be resting? "Mom," he called out to her, yet received no response. Again, he called her, a little louder, "Mom!"

Chi Chi jumped at the tone and turned to see her son standing near her. She offered him a smile and a quiet "good morning," asking him if he slept well.

This time, he could not stop his attitude from surfacing.

"Do you not remember last night?" he asked her indignantly. "You were sick and refusing to go to the doctor. I think you should go. You've been sick for days. And now you're actually doing housework?"

His mother sighed, shaking her head and turning off the water, before turning to face her son. "Gohan, I already told you that I'm fine. You have nothing to worry about."

Getting angry, Gohan snapped unable to control himself. "The hell I don't! I'm not losing you too. Go to a doctor…please…"

Chi Chi was about to explain things to Gohan when the phone rang. She moved to answer it out of habit. "Hello? Oh, good morning, Bulma. How are you?"

Gohan just stared at his mother, stupefied. The woman was just treating their discussion as if it were just some everyday conversation. "Oh, the gala is tonight. Oh wow, I'm surprised you convinced him to go. Sure, I think Gohan could come over to watch Trunks." The preteen's eyes nearly bugged out as his mother casually offered up his service like that. He couldn't believe any of this, but his mother's attitude was driving him crazy. "Yes, I'll send him over. Talk to you soon. Have a nice time."

After his mother hung up the phone, she went back to the dishes as if she forgot that her son had voiced a very serious concern of his. "Why would you just offer for me to babysit without asking me?" he asked her. "I was standing right here and we were in the middle of something."

Chi Chi stopped washing the dishes again and turned to look at him with a very apologetic expression. He could tell by the look in his mother's eyes that she had completely forgotten that they were discussing her health. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm just a bit tired. Why don't we sit down and talk about this?"

Gohan nodded and took a seat at the table, his mother joining him. "I don't want to babysit," he told his mother. "You can't make that decision for me. I'm not ready to socialize just yet."

Chi Chi blinked in surprise, her expression stunned. "But…Trunks is just a baby. You would just be watching him."

"That's not even the issue!" Gohan said raising his voice and gripping the bridge of his nose to prevent a headache and his temper. "Look, you can't make decisions for me, and you can't just ignore the fact that I'm worried about you!"

His mother's mouth dropped open, probably because he was shouting by this point, but no words came out of her mouth. To enraged, Gohan just shook his head and stormed back up to his room, slamming the door.

Chi Chi was beside herself. She wasn't trying to ignore her sons concern, but she was still too emotionally raw to bring attention to the real issue. She had noticed her son withdrawing, but she hadn't noticed by how much. All this anger and fear he had…her mouth set in a firm line as she realized that she had been pulling away as well.

After her son shut himself in his room, she decided to give her father a call. Being an emotional wreck, she couldn't think straight on how to deal with Gohan's outburst. Her father would be more objective than she could be right now.

"_Hello? Chi Chi?"_

"Hi, dad," the Ox princess greeted softly. "Can you talk for a minute?"

Of course, her father was ready to lend a listening ear. She told him about hers and Gohan's argument, her reaction, and Gohan slamming himself in his room. _"Well, it sounds like Gohan is just worried for your health and didn't think you were taking it seriously. Maybe for his peace of mind you should agree to make an appointment, even if it's just a stomach bug."_

Chi Chi released a bitter laugh as a hand moved to her stomach. "Maybe. But what do I do about the rest of it? He's really upset about going to Bulma's, but I already told her he would come."

"_Chi Chi…Gohan is going through this grieving process with you," _her father reminded her. _"His mood won't be stable for a while. He was already upset and angry that you weren't listening to him, and it sounds like you weren't really taking his concern into consideration. Between that and the phone call, he found a way to associate the irritation with you offering him up and the anger from the discussion and put it all together. You just need to be patient with him. Talk with him more. See where he's at. And believe me, I know it's difficult. I lost your mother when you were young and it was soul crushing. But Gohan is dealing with that same crushing feeling, too, and now he has to learn how to live his life without his father there to guide him."_

Tears started pooling in her eyes. It hadn't been that Chi Chi hadn't been thinking of what Gohan was going through. She had just been trying to act as if nothing had changed when two very big changes were happening. "Oh, dad…I've been horrible lately. No wonder he's mad at me."

"_He's not angry at you, Chi Chi. The situation yes, but not at you. He just needs to discover himself. Eventually he'll figure out what he needs and wants to do, but for right now, just be gentle with him and yourself. Don't do too much. And for goodness sake, go see a doctor."_

"I will, daddy," the woman responded, sniffling slightly and wiping the tears from her eyes. "Thank you for the talk. Stop by soon, okay?"

"_Of course. Take care, Chi. I love you."_

"You too, dad…you too."

Chi Chi hung up the phone and took a deep breath that was released as a weary sigh. She truly felt like a horrible mother for not trying to engage Gohan after Goku had passed. Maybe it had been because she felt numb. Everything about their home served as a constant reminder of a person who had rarely been there. Gohan was probably feeling the same way, but wasn't it her responsibility to know that?

She needed to stop feeling sorry for herself and actually be a mother. It was so surreal that her baby boy wasn't a baby anymore, and that she hadn't gotten to spend as much time as she would have liked coddling him. Now might be the only opportunity that she had, now that the Earth was safe. He needed her now to pull herself together.

The first way to do that was to make a big lunch for herself and Gohan to make sure they were both eating and keeping up their strength. When she was finished putting the food on the table, she went to her son's room and knocked on the door. "Gohan," she called, "it's time for lunch. Will you please come and eat?"

She could hear a sigh of frustration and for a moment wondered if his teenaged years would be this way. Gohan opened the door, still not looking happy. "Fine."

The two of them went back to the kitchen and sat down at the table. Chi Chi watched as Gohan slowly ate his food, taking normal, human bites, which was in complete contrast to his Saiyan nature. This caused her to sigh, which earned the boy's attention. "Gohan, we need to talk about some stuff, okay?"

The preteen swallowed the piece of meat he had been chewing. "Okay?"

Gohan stared down at his hand that his mother had just taken before he glanced up at her. She was smiling sadly at him. "First of all, I wanted to apologize for this morning. I didn't mean to upset you or make you think that I wasn't listening to you. I've just been…out of sorts since this all happened. I haven't been thinking clearly and I've been trying to live as normally as possible. I've been in denial, and so it was easier for me to brush off concern and continue with my normal routine.

"But things aren't normal," she admitted reluctantly, and Gohan could tell just how hard this was for her. His hardened stare softened, his grimace becoming a saddened frown. "I'm so used to you being the go between with Capsule Corp. that agreeing was like second nature. I'm sorry I volunteered you without thinking that you might want some time to yourself. I already told Bulma you would go, so I'm asking that you go for this one night. Next time, though, I will check with you first before making any promises. Is that okay?"

Gohan felt bad that he had turned something simple into an argument with his mother. He had just been so frustrated that she wasn't listening to him. Maybe now he had his chance. "I'll watch Trunks. It was honestly never about that. I…didn't like the fact that you were ignoring me and acting like everything was 'normal.' I'm…I'm worried about you," he managed to say bypassing the word 'scared.' "I just don't want to lose you, too."

Chi Chi pulled Gohan close to her and hugged him tightly. "Oh, baby, you're not going to lose me. I promise. I'm sorry I worried you." She pulled him away to look him in the eye. "I will make a doctor's appointment soon, but I need you to understand that I know what's going on and I'm just not ready to tell you yet. I can promise you that my health is not at risk. I just need you to trust that there's a reason I've been getting sick."

Gohan nodded, accepting his mother's words. He still didn't like them, but at least she agreed to go to a doctor sometime soon. Whatever was going on with her, it was comforting to know that her health wasn't in jeopardy. "Okay."

* * *

The rest of the day passed without issue, and Gohan was leaving for Capsule Corp. His mother hugged him a little tighter and longer before he left, which secretly he didn't mind right now. He took off in the direction of West City and mentally prepared himself for a night with a baby.

"I have a bunch of his shows picked out," Bulma said as she handed Gohan her son. "There's baby food in the cabinet…he eats a lot of it. Try to get him to eat the peas, but if he doesn't, he likes the sweet potato. His bed time is around seven, but if he fusses, you can keep him up just a bit longer. Let me see…what else?" Bulma tapped her chin as she finally stopped giving Gohan a list of things to remember. "Oh, my number is on the table in case you need us. I think you'll be okay, though."

"Uh, yeah," Gohan agreed monotonously with a nod. "Have a good time."

Bulma smiled at the boy and then left the room to finish getting ready, appearing completely frazzled. Gohan's eyes moved towards the Saiyan prince who was casually leaning against the wall. It was surprising to the preteen that Bulma actually convinced the warrior to forego his armor in exchange for a dark blue suit.

Vegeta pushed himself off of the wall and walked directly in front of Gohan. He hadn't seen the boy since their one-sided spar in the GR, and he didn't look any better since that day. His eyes narrowed, but it didn't seem to both Gohan who just stared at him blankly, yet his eyes revealed slight nervousness. Vegeta scoffed before his aura became demanding. "Don't listen to the woman," he ordered. "She's been coddling the boy too much. Bed times, feedings, and the cartoons she spoke to you of earlier will not affect the boy in the way she thinks. None of that matters to a Saiyan child."

Gohan was listening to Vegeta, but he didn't seem convinced. Part of the half-Saiyan was skeptical, wondering what the Saiyan prince knew about raising a child. "Feed him some meat with the stupid jarred garbage. He likes it better, as all _Saiyan _children do. As for the programs, don't let him watch them long. He turns into a vegetable. Keep him active, understand?" Gohan opened his mouth as if he were about to argue. "Do as I say, and we won't have a problem."

Gohan was surprised as Trunks attempted to reach his father. He noticed that Vegeta looked uncomfortable and, though the father's expression hardened, his eyes seemed soft as he moved to ruffle the baby's lavender locks. Instantly, he was gone. Apparently Trunks wasn't bothered by Vegeta taking his leave. It seemed like the baby and his father had developed some understand. Trunks didn't cry like most babies would at being rejected.

Gohan tried to remember a time that he and his own father had shared any type of understanding. For the most part, Gohan could hardly remember his early years. He was innocent back then, and believed his father could rescue him from anything. He had been dependent on Goku and his mother. Now that he thought about it, Chi Chi had "coddled" him, too. Where it didn't bother Gohan that he had four years of naivety, he realized that Trunks couldn't be afforded that luxury.

It was the Saiyans who made Gohan aware that evil existed in the world. His own uncle had attempted to kidnap him only to force his father to join them in vicious killing. That struggle had always been engraved in Gohan's memory. It was a time where he was too afraid to use his power, not used to fighting much at all. He had to grow up between that struggle and the fight against Frieza. After that…Gohan shook his head to rid him of thoughts.

The short version of his thoughts was that maybe Vegeta was right. He _had _been that great, evil force that invaded the Earth with the desire to wipe the planet clean. The fact that he had completely changed over the last few years was a miracle. Gohan still had moments where he remembered Vegeta as the enemy, but seeing that small gesture of him ruffling his son's hair spoke volumes to Gohan. He was a father, and he only wanted what was best for his son. He didn't want Trunks to become a stationary earthling. He wanted the child to grow up learning and growing as a Saiyan warrior so that he would be ready for any opponent.

Part of Gohan wished that his father had prepared him more for Cell.

A pang of guilt struck Gohan's heart as he thought anything negative of his father. He loved the man, and he knew that he had his own way of thinking. Still, he could not understand why he stopped fighting to send him into the ring, or why he had to give the monster a senzu bean.

He felt a small hand lightly smack his face and realized that he had zoned out while holding Baby Trunks. His dark eyes met petulant blue ones. "Sorry," he murmured before setting Trunks down on the living room floor. "Alright, what should we do first?"

As soon as the question was voiced, both demi-Saiyans' stomachs growled. Gohan couldn't help but laugh at that. "Well, that answers one question." He grabbed Trunks and tickled in tummy making the baby laugh and Gohan smile. So far, this wasn't going so badly.

Trunks did not want to eat his peas, but Gohan convinced him to while bribing him with small pieces of steak he found in the fridge. The little one seemed to enjoy the meat more, and it made Gohan realize that Vegeta was right. It's not like any of them knew how to raise a half-Saiyan child. Gohan himself had been the first one, and no one had ever known it.

He remembered Vegeta's second command to keep Trunks active, so Gohan spent some time laying with whatever toys lied in the living room, which Trunks also seemed to enjoy. Of course, the child went for action figures and played with them like they were flying while making babbling explosion sounds. When Gohan got distracted, Trunks would hold out his arms and reach for him, vying for the preteen's attention, which made Gohan smile. All in all, it was a very peaceful evening.

Gohan felt immensely exhausted. He assumed it was because he spent the night thinking way too much about everything and nothing at the same time. There were times he wished his mind would just shut off so he didn't have to think constantly.

It was a little after eight and Gohan realized that he could put Trunks to bed whenever he wanted. He had put one show on for Trunks, and it was about over so he figured one more and then he could put Trunks in his room for the night. After all was said and done, and Trunks had finally fallen asleep, Gohan returned to the living room and shut off the television while lying down on the couch. He ended up passing out from sheer exhaustion despite not doing much that evening. Of course, his mind still didn't go silent that night.

* * *

"Well, that went well aside from you scaring the ever living daylights out of Mr. Tamaguchi," Bulma remarked as she and Vegeta returned home early from the gala.

Vegeta answered by crossing his arms and grunting, "Hn."

Bulma rolled her eyes at the Saiyan as she unlocked the door. Her first instinct was to go to the living room where the two of them found Gohan asleep on the couch. Vegeta saw Bulma smile softly as she went into the closet to get out a pillow a blanket, objects he was used to using on the same couch whenever they had had major disagreements. After Bulma situated the boy, she turned to Vegeta. "I'm going to go call his mother so that she knows where he is. I'll meet you upstairs."

Vegeta nodded and Bulma took her leave. The Saiyan looked around the living room and saw that it was a little bit of a mess, most likely meaning that Gohan listened to him. If the meat he had left in the fridge was gone, then he would know that Gohan chose to listen to his orders instead of Bulma's. The thought caused the prince to smirk as he observed the son of his rival.

It took Vegeta by surprise when Gohan's peaceful expression became pained. His brow was creased and sweat began to form over his brow. He noticed the boy twitching and could instantly tell what was going on. The prince was no stranger to nightmares, especially after he lost his planet and a father that he loved and respected so much. He had been a young child, younger than Gohan was now, but it didn't change the fact that the boy was dealing with severe, mental trauma. The boy was at war with himself, now, and it would be a while before he could make any decisions. For the most part, Vegeta hoped that he would choose to ignore the weak, human emotions and resume life as a Saiyan full of training and battle.

For some reason, though, he empathized and understood that that might not happen, a truly disappointing thought.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters

I know this is a little depressing to be updating this on Christmas Eve, but well, holidays have been tough lately, and I was ready to work on this fic above all my other fanfics. Seeing as I've hardly updated this month, I went with it. I do hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas Eve and Merry Christmas. I'm sure I will too. Lots of little kiddles tonight playing around (I love my cousins, lol) and my little brother will be here, so it'll be good. Thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing. I appreciate it very much.

* * *

The morning seemed to drag on as Gohan worked on his schoolwork. He had been feeling strangely unmotivated the last few days. Thankfully, his mother had kept her word and gone to the doctor a few days after he babysat Trunks. She told him that the doctor said she was healthy, and that she would tell him the rest soon. It was still strange that she was getting sick in the middle of the night while being healthy, but Gohan did what he could for her. There were times he'd wake up and then sit with her, holding her hair and rubbing her back as she threw up. Every time he did, she would stop to tell him that he was a good son. He didn't feel like it. He wished he could do more to ease her discomfort.

"Gohan, will you come downstairs? I called your grandfather over and he should be here soon."

He looked to his advanced calculus homework and sighed. There was still three-fourths of the sheet left and he was supposed to have it done the day before, on his time table and no one else's. He tossed the paper aside, somewhat thankful for the excuse to abandon the work. He could always try again the next day.

Meanwhile, Chi Chi was downstairs thinking really hard about what she was about to do. It had been difficult for her when she figured out she was pregnant, but now it was getting to be the time where she'd have to say something. Where she was happy she was having hers and Goku's child, it also made her very sad because her husband wasn't going to be there to see any of it. It caused her so much emotional pain that she couldn't bring herself to tell her son or father when she found out. She had been tempted to tell Gohan after she scared him so badly, but he was so vulnerable…she didn't know how he'd take the news.

He seemed to be doing a little better, now, but he still had his moments where he withdrew away from her. She sometimes wondered if it was because he had been on his own for too long, or that he had been fighting for his life since he was four years old. That was one of the reasons Chi Chi never wanted Gohan to train in the first place. Goku was older than Gohan when he went on all of his Earth-saving adventures, but he was also very different from Gohan and saw it as a game. Gohan was different. He didn't see much of the fun Goku did when fighting. He saw all of the evil instead.

Chi Chi sighed and shook her head. She couldn't change any of that, now. Her baby had been forced into a world she had wanted to shield him from. For a while, she was angry about it, but now she was more concerned. What if Gohan was withdrawing because he felt like he could handle this grief on his own? She really hoped that wasn't the case.

Finally, Gohan came down the stairs and Chi Chi was surprised to find him in sweats and a t-shirt. Usually she saw him in either clothes she bought him or training clothes, but never something so casual. It actually brought a small smile to her face. He looked like a normal kid. "So, why did you call grandpa over?" he asked her making her freeze.

"I'll tell you when he comes," Chi Chi conveyed. "For now, what would you like for breakfast?"

Gohan sighed, wanting to tell his mother he wasn't hungry; however, he knew that wouldn't go over well. His mother would never let him skip a meal with his Saiyan appetite. "Whatever you want to make," he settled.

His mother's eyebrow was raised when she heard his unusual reply. Gohan was always enthusiastic about food, namely her food, much like his father. There would be times where he'd say he didn't know what he wanted, but he never flat out told her to make what she wanted. She decided that maybe she was reading too much into the statement. After all, her nerves were on high alert. She didn't know how either her son or father would react to her news, especially since she had kept it so long. The dark-haired woman could only pray her son wouldn't be angry with her.

* * *

When her father arrived, Chi Chi and Gohan had just finished breakfast, the former cleaning up the table. The man was smiling until his eyes caught Gohan. It seemed his grandson was lost in thought and didn't even realize he had entered. He broke Gohan free when he greeted with a hearty, happy, "Hello!" Gohan immediately lifted his head, his eyes meeting his grandfather's as he forced a smile for the man's benefit.

"Hi, dad," Chi Chi greeted, putting the last of the dishes into the sink. "Take a seat. I have something to tell the both of you."

Ox King did as his daughter asked, sitting beside his grandson who was still forcing a happy façade. He really felt for the boy. He knew what it was like to lose a parent. He also felt for his daughter, for he knew what it was like to lose a spouse. Time would be the only thing to heal them both, as frustrating as that always sounded. The king could only do everything he could as his daughter and grandson transitioned.

Chi Chi sat down at the table and folded her hands together, taking a deep breath before speaking. "Well, both of you know that I was a little out of sorts for a while and getting sick."

Gohan felt a pit form in his stomach. He knew his mother had said she was fine, but had she been lying? Was she going to tell them that something was wrong with her? He couldn't lose her too, he just couldn't. "Anyway," his mother continued, "what was happening was that I was having a strong bout of morning sickness."

"Mourning sickness?" Gohan questioned. "What's…what's mourning sickness? Do people go through that after they well…you know…lost someone?"

Chi Chi blinked at her son in surprise. "Not mourning sickness, sweetie," she said with an awkward smile. "Morning sickness is a symptom that happens when well…do you remember you biology lessons from a couple weeks ago?"

Gohan thought back and then paled slightly. "Yes."

"Dad, Gohan, I'm pregnant," she told them while carefully eyeing her son.

"That's great news, Chi," Ox King said softly while also watching his grandson as the boy's lips pressed into a firm line.

"Gohan, are you all right?" his mother asked. Gohan wanted to assure her that he was, but the news was too much for him. All this time, he thought his mother was seriously ill, and that was horrible enough, but now she was going to have a baby and Gohan didn't know how to react to the news.

"I'm happy for you," he replied evenly, his fists clenched. "May I be excused?"

Before waiting for a reply, Gohan stood up and started walking towards the door. "Honey," his mother called to him, "do you want to talk about this more?"

Gohan's hand paused on the door, and his looked off to the side in shame. "No," he answered curtly before pushing the door and exiting their home.

Chi Chi had not expected Gohan to want to leave the room. Her fear of him being angry at her had basically been confirmed. "Oh daddy…he hates me."

"Chi, he doesn't hate you," her father assured her as he looked towards the door. "He just needs a little time to process this. It's a lot to take in."

The woman really wanted to listen to her father, but at the same time she was just an emotional wreck who honestly believed her son was angry with her. She hid her face in her hands and shook her head, finally letting some of her own tears fall, tears that she had been holding back.

Of course, she wasn't the one at whom Gohan was truly angry.

* * *

In the woods, Gohan unleashed the rage and hurt that he was feeling on the unmoving trees that resided there. His energy was fluctuating at an alarming rate as he aggressively attacked the inanimate entities. He was so angry at a great many things. For one, he was angry at himself, not only for how he reacted towards his mother's news, but also because he didn't feel joy that his mother was having his father's child. He was incredibly angry at his father for reasons he couldn't pinpoint in his rage. There was also his resentment towards Cell for causing this whole mess, and again at himself for not destroying the monster sooner causing his father to make that sacrifice.

And then, he realized, he was angry that this baby would never know its father.

The boy panted heavily as his attacks on the trees ended. Finally, he was starting to realize why he was so angry at his father. He had felt guilt for his anger towards the man. He never wanted to admit that he was angry with him, for he was Earth's hero, his hero…

And that was all he ever was.

Gohan remembered his father's words when he went to transport Cell. He not only told Gohan he was proud of him, but that he would have to be the man of the house. Now that Gohan knew of his unborn sibling, he wondered if his father had known beforehand that his mother was pregnant. Did his father know what he was leaving behind before he died?

Again, the barrage on the trees began as Gohan directed his misplaced aggression solely on the fact that his father might have known and left him responsible for his mother and sibling. His father _never _taught him what it meant to be the man of the house. For most of Gohan's childhood, he was training to fight evil. Most of his life, he spent away from his father. Even as a child, Goku was always all over the place. Sure, he taught Gohan how to fish and cut wood, but nothing else about being there for someone in the manner he would now need to be there for his mother.

There wasn't really anyone he could ask either. All of his father's friends, for the most part, were single and off doing their own thing. The only one that wasn't single…at least from what Gohan assumed…was Vegeta, and he knew he would get nothing useful out of him. Anger at himself returned because he just didn't know what to do to help his mother through any of this. He really hated that there was nothing he could do.

As Gohan fell to the ground after exhausting his energy, Krillin touched down right behind him. The bald warrior had felt the demi-Saiyan's energy all the way from Master Roshi's island. His concern had gotten the better of him, so he quickly hurried over to the mountain and was stunned by the sight he saw. Though it was clear that Gohan had expelled too much energy, the boy got back to his feet and continued powering up and expelling energy to the point where his body must have been hurting.

He attempted to call to the boy, but Gohan was not responding at all. "Hey, kid, seriously, I think you've done enough. You're going to wear yourself down too much. Stop!"

But it was already too late as Gohan fell to his knees once more, struggling to breathe. His final blast had knocked down a row of trees, the large masses tumbling down to the ground. Now that Gohan was down and not looking like he was about to attack any time soon, Krillin was able to approach him, placing a hand on the preteen's shoulder. In a soft voice, the former monk asked, "What's wrong, Gohan?"

The boy was still breathing hard, but he was finally able to say something. "I…I don't know what to…do. M-Mom just told us…she's pregnant. I don't know…what to do…to…to help her. D…Dad told me…I had to be the man of the house…now. I don't know how to do that."

Krillin didn't know what to say, at least not in that moment as his own head was spiraling with emotion. He had been grieving for the loss of his best friend, and he had been trying to understand why Goku had done what he did, and then why he flat out refused to be wished back with the Dragon Balls. But he was an adult who would be able to accept it. Goku's son was too young to be struggling with all of this. He wasn't ready for the responsibility of an adult, yet here he was trying to claim the responsibility Goku had placed on him. Krillin sighed and said, "Kid, let's get you home. Your mother's probably worried about you."

"Yeah," Gohan whispered, weakly pushing himself up off the ground. Krillin helped him up the best he could and then held him up as the two made their way towards the mountain dwelling.

* * *

On the way towards the home, Krillin attempted to advise Gohan as best as he could. He told the boy to just be there for his mother, but that there was only so much responsibility he could shoulder. Anything Gohan would try to do to help out would be enough for his mother, for she was not expecting him to become an adult overnight. Gohan didn't say much in response to Krillin's words. He was hearing him, but his mind was still submerged in anger, grief, and guilt that he just wasn't processing what was being said to him.

Chi Chi was surprised when Krillin entered the house practically carrying her son up to his room. There, Krillin got Gohan into bed so that the boy could nap and recover his energy. As soon as Gohan's head hit the pillow, he was out like a light and Krillin ruffled his hair and then quietly left the room and closed the door. He was face to face with Chi Chi as soon as he looked up. The woman looked alarmed. He could hardly blame her. "Is…is he okay?"

"Physically, he will be," Krillin assured her, "but Chi Chi, we've gotta talk about something. First, is there anything you need me to do? Cooking, cleaning, anything?"

Chi Chi hesitated, but told him, "I was just about to get started on lunch and I still need to wash the dishes. Then I was going to work on some sweeping and vacuuming afterwards."

"Let me take care of the chores and you cook," Krillin proposed. "Then we'll talk."

* * *

Most of what Chi Chi made for lunch, she put in the refrigerator for Gohan for when he would wake up. Krillin finished up washing the lunch dishes and cookware before the two met at the table. "Look, Gohan told me what's going on, about the baby, I mean," Krillin started. "I'm going to let the others know, if that's okay. That way, everyone can help you. You don't have to go through this all alone. Goku was our family, too."

"I know," Chi Chi responded. "Thank you. I just, I couldn't bring myself to tell them. I'm very happy, but at the same time it makes me sick that Goku will never know of his other child and that he or she will never know their father."

"I get it," Krillin answered. "It's all a very big adjustment to make. Goku was always there, and now we all have to get by without him. It's worse for you guys because he was your everything. I know how much Gohan looked up to him, and with how I found him today, I know this is all killing him inside."

"What do you mean?"

Chi Chi's voice was frantic when she voiced the question. Krillin held his hands up. "Hey, stay calm, okay? Anyway, today I could sense his energy going all over the place from Roshi's. When I found him, he was expending all of it in a blind rage. I got him to talk to me, though. He's really upset because Goku told him he had to be the man of the house. He's so young, he just doesn't know how to do that. He wants to do more to help you, but he just doesn't know what."

"He doesn't need to put that on himself," Chi Chi whispered, looking away. "He's just a boy. I didn't expect him…I thought he left because he was mad that I waited so long to tell him. When I was getting sick, he was terrified. I wanted to tell him, but I couldn't. All of this is just too hard. I was afraid to voice anything."

"Gohan isn't mad at you," Krillin assured her. "He's mad at himself, and I think he holds a little resentment towards Goku for not coming back. It's a really tough situation. Don't worry, though; he'll be okay. He just needs to figure stuff out."

Her father had said something similar to her that Krillin was saying now. She knew it was true, but she hated the thought of her son being in this kind of emotional pain and trying to handle it himself. "How long will that take?"

"Honestly, I don't know."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters

* * *

Gohan woke up late in the day one Saturday morning. He had been sleeping in quite a bit lately, but mainly because he was staying up at night not wanting to sleep. When he did sleep, he couldn't stay asleep, and not even because he was plagued with nightmares anymore. He was sure most of it was emotional exhaustion, for he'd experienced prolonged periods of being awake. Namek was a prime example of that, though it couldn't be helped when he was on a planet that experienced no diurnal patterns.

Looking at the clock, he realized it was already the early afternoon. His mother's energy was not to be found in the household, so Gohan could only assume she was out. He smiled at that. His mother deserved some time to herself.

The preteen kept himself busy between watching some television and working on his homework. His mother had long since ended her nagging, but he welcomed the distraction. He still had difficulties accepting that his father was gone. Now, he needed to avoid thinking about the new child that would be entering the world.

Gohan wasn't angry that his mother was having another baby. He honestly had wanted a sibling since his time with the orphans. It wasn't the new baby that upset Gohan, but the fact that his mother would be raising him all alone. Yes, Gohan was there, but what did he know about becoming the man of the house? All his father taught him was training and fighting to protect Earth. Piccolo had honestly taught him the same.

What did it mean to be the man of the house?

Gohan was young and studying, so it wasn't like he could work. Even if he could, what was around them that he could do? Maybe being the man of the house meant he needed to take more of the burden off of his mother. He did gather firewood and fish, still, but that couldn't be enough. His mother was going to be exhausted, so maybe he could help her more with meals and chores. The child grinned as he thought of this. After all, how hard could it be compared to saving the whole planet?

* * *

After a couple hours, he had his answer. He had no idea how his mother did the things she did, especially cooking. It was different than roasting a dinosaur tail over a fire. She always managed to cook so much to feed him and his father, too. Gohan sighed and rinsed the blackened pan in the sick causing a cloud of smoke to arise. Cooking was definitely not is forte. The proof was the burnt smudges that was supposed to be their dinner. He had been close to setting the kitchen on fire.

So, he couldn't help with cooking, but then he got the bright idea as he tried to clean up his mess. Rinsing the pan made him realize that he could wash dishes. There was always a lot of them, and without a dishwasher, his mother had to stand nearly all day to cook and then clean all the pans and dishes. There was still plenty left over from the night before.

Gohan squirted some dish soap onto the sponge and filled the sink with water. He reached for a glass, but then froze before picking up remembering a time before Cell when he and his father kept breaking the glasses and dishes. He became frustrated, but he figured that he'd have better control of his energy by now. Finally, he reached for a glass and went to clean in with the sponge. The glass shattered as soon as the sponge touched it. The same happened with the dish he attempted to wash as well. Releasing an angry sigh, he carefully picked up the glass pieces and put them in the trash.

There had to be something he could do to make things easier on his mother. One option could be the housework. His mother did a lot of cleaning. It had to be something he could do, for he was running out of ideas.

He found the closet where his mother kept the cleaning supplies and then went through the rooms dusting and sweeping. It honestly didn't take much with his speed, and Gohan found himself feeling both elated and relieved. It would take a lot off of his mother if he could take care of these few chores. He would be able to get what would take his mother an hour done in minutes.

As he finished, he thought about another thing his mother did before meals, setting the table. Honestly, he could move plates, he just couldn't put pressure on them while washing. Maybe he could also do that. He felt more confident after finding one way to help, and he wanted to find more. He wanted to take as much pressure off of his mother as possible.

* * *

Chi Chi returned home early in the evening. Bulma had taken her out shopping which lasted longer than Chi Chi had thought. She really hoped Gohan wouldn't be upset with her for being out all day. She had left him some food in the fridge. Knowing her son, he wouldn't mind. He knew both women needed to get out every once in a while instead of staying in and wallowing in the loss. Hopefully, Gohan would be up to joining them next time.

When she entered her home, she frowned at how quiet it was. She was used to her boys being gone, but now it just felt wrong. She did notice how clean the floors looked and the set table, but she also noticed the burnt pan in the sink and the glass on top of the garbage. Her frown turned into a sad smile. She knew she had a good son.

She was about to go upstairs to retrieve her son for dinner. Bulma had ordered them takeout to give Chi Chi a break from cooking for the night. Surprisingly, she hadn't made it that far. She stopped in front of the stairs seeing her son sitting in the living room. He had hardly been out of his room, let alone doing his schoolwork, but now he was downstairs in the open surrounded by all his books. He was sitting on the couch, his feet propped on the edge holding up one of his workbooks. His eyes, though, were distant, like he was no longer focused on the words of the page. "Gohan," she called out, earning the preteen's attention. He hadn't jumped or been startled his gaze swiftly moving to her. She smiled. "Why don't you take a break? I brought dinner."

Gohan didn't react much other than nodding and closing the book.

* * *

Gohan joined his mother in the kitchen as they put the food on their plates. Chi Chi still didn't like how little Gohan put on his plate or how slowly he ate. She was growing concerned by his eating habits, especially when she saw the food she left still in the refrigerator. "So, what did you do today?"

Her son paused in his eating and said, "Well, I finally got my math work done, and I'm catching up on reading and-"

"I wasn't asking about the schoolwork, Gohan," Chi Chi assured him. "I understand you needing a break. I know you'll get caught up. I wanted to know how you spent your day."

The demi-Saiyan frowned and looked down. "Well, I tried to cook, but I burnt it. I sort of broke a glass and a dish, too."

Chi Chi smiled and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I figured that out. Thank you for cleaning the house, though. I really do appreciate it, and I appreciate what you were trying to do."

"You do?" the boy asked in shock, his eyes wide.

"Of course, sweetie. It was very helpful, and I know even for the things that didn't work out, your heart was in the right place. Things have been tough on both of us, and I want you to be able to stay active, and no, I don't mean with either training or schoolwork."

Gohan closed his mouth, for that was exactly what he was going to say. He remained silent and let his mother continue. "Next time Bulma and I go shopping, I want you to come along, too. You haven't really been out since you babysat Trunks, and truthfully, I need your help picking things out for the baby."

He chuckled slightly before teasingly adding, "Yeah, the baby will need new clothes instead of using those hand-me-downs."

A true, genuine smile graced his mother's features, and for the first moment since his father died things seemed okay. They weren't perfect, but they weren't terrible either. Gohan still didn't know how he felt about going out, but he realized his father would want him to stay active and see the world instead of locking himself away in his room. He didn't know it then, but this day was his first transition, and things would only look up from there.

Of course, he still had quite the way to go.

* * *

After dinner, Chi Chi suggested Gohan put his books away and that they watch a movie. Gohan felt a pang. He couldn't remember the last time he had had the chance to sit down and do something so normal with his mother. The last movie he could remember watching with her was when he was so little, sometime before he ended up training with Piccolo. He did as she asked and brought all of his books back upstairs to his room.

Neither really knew what to watch, so they settled for a movie that was on TV. Gohan and his mother chatted a little more, only enough for Gohan to promise to help her put the things she bought away in the morning. Chi Chi thanked him for the offer, and they snuggled up on the couch both munching on a bowl of popcorn.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters

To the guest reviewer, aswf, I really appreciate the review and condolences. It has been a difficult two years, as I'm sure you can imagine. I have been doing my best to capture the feelings of loss as I have felt them in hopes that the story would be more realistic and relatable. I just want you to know that I understand very well and, if you would like and you are still around, shoot me a PM if you need someone to talk to. Sometimes it's easier to talk to a stranger than the people around us.

* * *

It was a nice day outside, a breeze blowing through the open windows of the mountain home. Gohan was downstairs in the living room working on some assignment. He was starting to like the school work a bit, for it kept him distracted enough from the world around him. He was starting to really get into literature, being able to read stories about different worlds and peoples. It stole him from his current world, after all. Of course, reading his science books did the same. He was really interested in some of the scientific journals Bulma leant him as well.

Chi Chi had been resting a bit, not really feeling up to doing housework that day. It was starting to get pretty hot, and the woman realized that she would need to dig out her old maternity clothes from her closet. She was looking forward to finding some of those summer dresses.

She smiled when she saw Gohan hard at work and ascended the stairs to her room. As she entered, she hummed a bit, until she opened closet and her heart felt sunk. She knew what side of the closet the boxes of maternity clothes were, but she hadn't truly thought on it.

Inside the closet were all of Goku's clothes and gis, and Chi Chi felt a pain in her heart. As her hand moved to the spot in her chest, tears formed in her eyes. In the past, Goku had always returned home be it from training or from Otherworld, and so she had never considered touching his belongings before. As she stared at the mostly orange wardrobe, she fell to her knees and burst out into tears.

With his sensitive hearing, Gohan picked up the sound of his mother sobbing and instantly runs up the stairs to find her on the floor of her room in front of the open closet. Gohan's lips pursed into a firm line as he made the connection. He looked down to his mother and knelt down beside her. As soon as his hand reached her shoulder, he was pulled into her grip. Unprepared, he sort of sat there as his mother cried against him squeezing him tightly. He calmed and wrapped his arms around the woman, patting her back. Surprisingly, his mother's grip tightened and he actually felt slight pain. "Hey, mom," he called out softly. "Sh, I know. It's okay."

"I-I'm sorry," she choked out. "I've been trying so hard to hold it together. I didn't expect to breakdown like this. I-I didn't want you to see me like this."

"Don't worry about it," Gohan assured her. "I'm fine, and you've been holding this in. You're suffering too, mom."

She laughed weakly and rested her chin on her boy's head. "I love you, sweetie," she told him. "You're so understanding."

Gohan managed to smile and then looked to the closet. "Hey, what were you doing, anyway?" he asked.

"I wanted to find my old maternity clothes and I just didn't think about the fact that we shared that side of the closet. Your dad always came back."

"I know," Gohan murmured. "Why don't you go downstairs and I'll put dad's clothes away? You can go work in the garden, and I'll put his stuff away in capsules and put them up in the attic."

Chi Chi nodded, wiping away her tears. "Gohan, will you be okay?"

Her son nodded to her. "Just go. I'll take care of it."

Chi Chi offered him a weak smile as he helped her up from the floor. Once she was gone, Gohan took in a shaky breath and clenched his fists. He knew he was in for a long, painful afternoon, and to be honest it was not something he was looking forward to. He had to do this, though, for his mother. He would do anything to make things easier for her. She had enough to worry about.

* * *

From the moment he started going through the clothes, Gohan was slow and sluggish, his emotions spinning. Every article seemed to contain a ton of memories of his father, especially all of his training gis. That seemed to be what his father wore the most, having a ton of replacements after all the fights he had been in. Gohan lost count of how many times his gi was torn and shredded or disintegrated by ki. All of the times they trained together were brought to the surface of his mind that Gohan had to shove the uniforms aside. Goku hardly had any casual clothing at all, but there were two suits left in the closet. One was the suit he wore on his wedding day. Gohan knew that picture well, for it still remained in his living room. He was thankful once again that he was doing this and not his mother, or she would upset both herself and the baby.

The other suit was what his father had worn to an interview with a preparatory school for him. His parents had gone to try to get him into the private school. Of course, the interview hadn't gone as well as his mother had hoped. Gohan could only chuckle weakly as tears began to stream down his face.

He wiped them away and then threw down the capsule at the now folded clothes. They disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving the small pod behind. Gohan just stood over it, hesitant to pick it up. It was strange how the boy who saved the world from Cell was reluctant to pick up a capsule and put it in the attic. He was sure his father would be teasing him about how ridiculous he was being.

His father would never back down from a challenge, and Gohan wasn't going to either. He found it within himself to grab the capsule and then headed towards the attic. There wasn't really anything up there except for an old, empty shelf where Gohan placed the clothes. He turned away quickly, not looking back, and left the musty room slamming the door behind him. Then he returned to his mother's room and started getting her maternity clothes out of the boxes placing them on the now empty hangers, to fill the space and finalize the change.

* * *

It wasn't much later after he finished that his mother finally came inside, though Gohan was nowhere to be found. However, Chi Chi found a plate of berries and a glass of cold water indicating that he hadn't been gone long. She smiled sadly knowing that he son had had a rough day, but she was so thankful what he had done for her. She would have never been able to handle it herself. Gohan really was a good kid. He had been so helpful ever since finding out she was pregnant. It was then she remembered how close she came to losing both her husband and son and tears began to form in her eyes once more.

She managed to will them away, taking a drink of the water and eating some of the berries. It would have been hell had she lost both of them. She would have been devastated.

She was very lucky that hadn't happened. She just needed to remind herself of that.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters

* * *

He couldn't believe his mother talked him into agreeing, but now that Bulma was there he couldn't back out now. It had started with Chi Chi saying at breakfast that she and Bulma were going to the mall, and by the end of breakfast she had wrangled her preteen son into accompanying them. Gohan wasn't sure if he really wanted to go into the city. He hadn't been there for a really long time. His mother's concern for him becoming reclusive, though, may have had something to do with him accepting.

So Bulma had come to pick them up with Baby Trunks sitting in the backseat. How long had it been since he had babysat the young Saiyan hybrid? It dawned on Gohan that he really had been too long since he had gone out and socialized. Well, if going with the women reassured his mother, he would do it.

Trunks seemed to enjoy Gohan's presence in the backseat, reaching out for his fellow hybrid. Gohan was amazed at the energy the little baby harbored and wondered if Vegeta had already started training the child now that he could walk. He wondered how okay Bulma would be with that. Not verbalizing his thoughts, he chose to settle Baby Trunks by making funny faces. At first the child was confused, but then he started laughing and clapping. Gohan could only hope that his unborn sibling would like him as much as Trunks seemed to. He didn't notice, though, the knowing smiles on both women's faces.

* * *

Both woman seemed to do a lot of shopping, usually leaving Gohan with Trunks. It was strange being in a mall, for he never really had been to one to relax before. He had always been training to combat some evil out there in the universe. Everything around him seemed so…normal. The building was bright, letting in a lot of sun, and it honestly made the half-breed feel majorly content. He had started to doze off a bit, waiting for the women when they showed up and finally said it was time for a lunch break. Gohan didn't need to be told twice. He was ready for food!

Bulma led them to a food court that had many different varieties of food. Gohan almost didn't know what to choose, so Bulma simply handed him her credit card and told him to go and get whatever he wanted. The blue-haired woman smiled at the boy's excitement. To be honest, he reminded her so much of Goku. Her best friend was always crazy excited over food. The preteen's reaction was a lot like his father's when she brought the young Saiyan to a mall for the first time. It had been Goku's first time in such a big city. Everything was an adventure to him.

Gohan had chosen a couple of different dishes from different restaurants. He was carrying a whole bunch of trays, two in his hands, one more on each arm, one on his head, and a bag of chips in his mouth. Something caught his eye, though, a group of people his standing against a wall in the court talking and laughing. He couldn't look away for some reason. Then, one of the guys noticed him and blinked in confusion before he tapped on a taller guy's shoulder. Gohan could see the guy whispering something, and then all the guys' heads turned his way. They were all silent during the exchange before the guys went back to their conversation all the while cautiously watching the strange kid. Gohan, not wanting to draw any more attention to himself, finally walked back to the table where Bulma and his mother had settled themselves. After putting the trays down, his eyes wandered back to the group, but they were already leaving and entered a building with some glowing lights and games. If the half-Saiyan remembered correctly, it was called an arcade.

As he ate and the women talked, a thought struck Gohan. When was the last time he had spent time with people his own age. To be honest, he could only recall three times. Once was when he was trying to return home. He had been training with Piccolo, learning to survive on his own. He constructed a raft and got caught up in a storm. He ended up shipwrecked with a whole bunch of orphans, most around his age. He had also met that girl, Lime, right before the Cell games. The only other time was when he had met Dende, and they had been trying to escape Frieza's men. It had been such a long time since they had said goodbye, but then his father surprised him by bringing Dende back to Earth to be the new guardian. He hadn't seen his friend since right after Cell's defeat when they tried to wish his father back to life. He felt guilt forming in the pit of his stomach causing him to eat slower.

Thinking of all of this made him realize that any time he met someone his age, he was either training for danger or fighting to survive. His brows furrowed slightly. The world was finally at peace now, and his father had stayed away so that no other evil would come after him. Maybe it was time for him to start interacting people his own age.

Out of nowhere, his mother's ki raised slightly, something that usually happened when she felt ill. The woman was already racing towards the restrooms. Bulma watched her sympathetically. "Hey, Gohan, could you watch Trunks? I'm going to go with your mom and make sure she's okay."

"Okay," the child replied. "Thanks, Bulma."

Gohan sighed as he took a seat next to the resting toddler. He couldn't worry about making friends his own age, not right now. His mother needed him. She was already handling so much alone. Until his mother and sibling were settled, he couldn't even dream about going off and making friends. It was something he'd want to do, though, when everything was stable.

* * *

The rest of their trip went off without a hitch, and Bulma was eventually bringing the Sons back to their mountain home. Gohan grabbed all of his mother's bags and brought them in the house. Chi Chi smiled, watching her boy. He was always so helpful, especially as of late. "He's growing up, huh?" Bulma asked the woman.

Chi Chi nodded, but even though she agreed she wasn't happy about it. Since the day her husband's brother had shown up on the planet, her little boy had had to grow up. Most of his life was spent without her or his father and it pained her. She didn't know what to do to make her son's life easier. He was hardly even talking to her about how he was feeling. "I worry about him."

Bulma released a bitter chuckle. "Believe me, I get it. He's had a difficult life, and he doesn't have Goku's carefree nature to go with it. Sometimes I wish Goku would finally agree to come back just so I can kick his butt for putting you all through this."

"I don't think it would have made a difference," Chi Chi sighed, though she wore a fond smile. "I don't think Goku would ever have understood. He was always looking for the next adventure instead of seeing what was right in front of him."

"It's a Saiyan thing," Bulma huffed. "Everything is going to be okay, Chi. You know that, right?"

Chi Chi nodded, but she wasn't fully convinced yet. Any time they thought they were finally free of something, another crazy occurrence happened. She had thought everything was going to be okay. Goku promised her that it would be. He promised her that he wouldn't let their little boy fight.

The dark-haired woman said goodbye to her friend and watched her drive off before entering the house. Gohan and the bags were nowhere to be seen, so she went in search of them and found Gohan hanging up whatever new clothes Bulma had convinced her to get up in the closet. She smiled sadly as she say the pensive, determined gaze on his face. Part of her felt the need to snap him out of it, so she softly called his name and earned his attention. "Would you mind bringing your old crib down from the attic?" she asked. She realized it was time to start getting ready. Thinking more about the baby might help them through their grief.

"Sure," the preteen answered before quickly leaving the room.

Gohan made his way up to the attic remembering the last time he had been up there. He knew the capsule of his father's clothes was still there and did his best to ignore it. Still, his heart was racing, his mind full of tumultuous emotions. He needed to think of something else…fast.

He decided to look around the room to hopefully find something else that would steal his attention away. Surprisingly, he succeeded. He noticed something about the attic. It was practically empty save the shelves and the crib, and, of course, a couple boxes of his old clothes. There was a window bringing in light as well as a couple of outlets here and there, probably from whenever his mother decided to remodel the home with electricity. He assumed that was before he was born since he had no memory, but he had heard stories of when his father built the home.

His mind was going into dangerous territory so it went back to the room as a whole. It was a little dusty, but the floor was stable and the room was big. Honestly, with a bit of cleaning and maybe a new coat of paint, the attic could actually be a good baby room, at least until the baby would need an actual bed for the attic was just a tad small. It would help his mom out quite a bit if she didn't need to worry about reorganizing her room to fit the baby in there, and Gohan would be able to help take care of the child on nights where his mother was too rundown. To be honest, he barely slept anyway as it was, so it wouldn't be that much trouble for him to take on that responsibility.

He had to keep it a secret, though. He wanted to surprise his mother with his idea. It would take a lot of work, but honestly he needed a break from everything. Still, he couldn't let his mother get suspicious so he did what she asked and brought the crib down to her room. He then retreated to his room for the night starting to think of what he wanted to do for his sibling's room.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters

* * *

Gohan watched as the people walked by him in the mall. He had come alone this time, but he just didn't know where to start. The preteen looked to the credit card Bulma had handed him when he explained what he wanted to do for his mother. Bulma had been happy to help with deal with the cost of the surprise. She offered to pay for everything like paint or anything the baby might need. Gohan had been thankful, though he still felt awkward about accepting. Regardless, he knew he couldn't get anything done without Bulma and her help. He'd find a way to make it up to her one day.

Well, he needed to get moving. It wasn't unusual for him to be away from home all day, but he knew his mother worried so he tried to make it home before dark each night. It was time to start exploring these stores.

He went to a few places and had already found a crib, dresser, lights, and picked a paint color. By the time he felt he needed a break, his stomach rumbled and he found himself heading to the food court. There, he saw the same group of kids he had last time, the ones who looked to be about his age. His curiosity got the better of him when he saw them looking at him and whispering. His brow quirked in interest, and he decided to go and approach them.

"Hi," he greeted in his usually friendly manner. "I'm Gohan."

The boys seemed stunned by his presence, all jumping back slightly. "Are you talking to us?" one of them asked.

Gohan simply laughed. "Yeah. I saw you looking at me and wanted to know why, that's all."

"Oh," the guy said, amazed.

His other friend spoke up, acting slightly nervous. "We recognized you. You've been here before with Bulma Briefs and the Ox Princess."

Gohan didn't understand why the other kid seemed nervous, but he smile. "Yeah. I haven't heard her title in a while, but the Ox Princess is my mom. Bulma is my godmother."

"Whoa really?" the third kid asked. "That's crazy!"

"Is it?" Gohan questioned, gaping. "Uh, wait. How do you know my mother in the first place?"

"Huh? Oh, right," the first kid said. "Well, my parents are big into martial arts, and they have a tape from the twenty-third World Martial Arts Tournament. Your mom is a great fighter. So was that guy she fought."

Gohan's smile turned, his eyes dimmed. "Yeah. That was my dad."

The three boys all gawped at him, completely shocked. "Really? That's so cool! We didn't see all the fights, like the last one, but my dad said he won the tournament. You must be really proud."

Gohan forced himself to smile once again and nod. He was proud, of both of his parents, but he didn't want to think about his father, not right now. As if sensing Gohan's discomfort, mistaken for embarrassment, one of the boys simply laughed at patted Gohan's back. "Eh, come on guys. You're gonna fluster him. So, Gohan, right?" Gohan nodded. "I'm Eru, and these are my buddies, Pi and Nu. We were going to hit the arcade. Wanna join?"

Gohan hesitated for a moment. It wasn't that he didn't want to go. He honestly didn't know what an arcade was and was definitely interested to see what kids his own age normally did. Still, he was at the mall on Bulma's dime, and he didn't want to spend anything extra. He already knew he would have to get food for himself soon. "I don't think I can," he spoke. "I only have enough money for food for myself. I was actually going to head to the food court now."

"That's fine," Nu said. "I can handle it. My dad is wealthy. Not as wealthy as say Hercule Satan or your godmother, but I can cover you. Just take your time and come meet us when you're done eating. We'll catch you later."

"Really?" Gohan asked before he grinned at the boy. "Um, thanks. I'll come check it out later."

The three guys offered him playful grins before they started heading to the arcade pointing it out to Gohan. They waved him off, leaving him alone to get himself some lunch. He was actually glad for that, for now he was free to eat in peace, and he wouldn't have to explain away his large appetite.

* * *

The arcade was full of noise and bright lights, and Gohan was actually awed. He never saw anything like this place before. There were many kids his age, younger, and older, all playing strange games. He took in the sight of it all mentally keeping track of each game and how they were being played. Some looked like they were easily breakable games which he knew he'd need to steer clear from. He was still getting a handle on his own strength.

As he spent time with the boys, he simply listened to their conversations and answered questions when asked. It actually seemed kind of nice. Gohan realized that this was the first time he was hanging out with people his own age that didn't involve running from the cops with Pigero or trying to escape an intergalactic tyrant and his men with Dende. He actually didn't mind this and found he'd like to do it again one day. It felt so…normal.

The other boys were talking to Gohan about their hobbies, likes, and dislikes. They too were into martial arts and told him about their club at their school. Gohan asked them what school was like, so they told him about their classes, teachers, and even school dances. As Gohan listened, his eyes widened in amazement. His new friends were confused by his awe. Eru was the one to speak up first. "So, Gohan, where do you go to school?"

"Actually, I've been homeschooled since I was really young," Gohan explained. "I've never been to a school before."

"Never?" Pi asked, stunned. The other two were surprised as well. "So, like, do your parents teach you, or is it a teacher that comes to your house? One of my classmates was homeschooled, but he did some online thing, and then he came to middle school to try something different."

"Hm," Gohan grunted looking irritated. "Well, mom had a teacher come one time. I didn't like him very much. Usually mom taught me, or I taught myself."

"That must be cool," Eru interjected. "Do you like it?"

Gohan shrugged. "I used to," he admitted. Now it seemed monotonous, though it was a good distraction if anything.

"Well, if you're ever looking for a change, you could always talk to your parents about going to a regular school," Nu suggested. "Maybe you just need a change."

The half-Saiyan would have been lying if he said the idea had never crossed his mind. He considered it a couple times before, but there was always something going on. He was always training to fight evil, so a conversation about school never came up, not that he really cared then. Even then, he knew that saving the world was more important than math or history. Of course, he couldn't get that through to his mother. No one really could.

There was another matter to consider, and that was his baby sibling. His mother would need help taking care of the child, and it was his responsibility now. He couldn't broach the subject of school just yet, not until his mom and sibling were stable. He'd revisit that topic then.

"Maybe," he whispered as he watched the boys playing this "ski ball" game. He tried to mentally calculate how much of his strength he'd need to hold back.

* * *

About an hour or two passed before the three other boys needed to head home. They asked Gohan if he needed a ride, but he assured them he was fine. He had a little bit more shopping to do anyway. The group asked him when he'd be back, but Gohan didn't really have an answer for them. Reluctantly, he told them that he lived far away, hoping they wouldn't offer him that ride again. Instead, Eru handed him a slip of paper with his contact information and told him to keep in touch so they could hang out again sometime. Gohan accepted it, promising to keep in touch, though deep down he was surprised he made friends so easily without trying.

He finished up checking out store before he headed home, this time flying since it was already getting dark. It was no offense to Nimbus, but his speed was much faster. Besides, he didn't want let his mother worry for too long. Lately, he had made sure to be home before dark.

Of course, he was running quite a bit late and Chi Chi was doing her best not to worry. Her baby boy wasn't a baby anymore, and he was so incredibly strong. Gohan had saved the Earth, so she was certain he'd be fine wherever he went. Still, he was her son, and her maternal instincts caused her to worry. Even if Gohan was less likely to get hurt, it was possible. He should have been back over an hour ago, so where was he?

Chi Chi got her answer when Gohan came through the door. "Hi, mom," he greeted quickly making his way over to her to kiss her on the cheek before he started heading upstairs. The mother was shocked. Gohan hadn't ever really done that, nor was he acting the same as he had been all the days leading up until now.

"Now, just wait a second, mister," Chi Chi scolded, hands on her hips. "Just where were you that you were later to dinner by more than an hour?"

"I was out," Gohan replied curtly, but he realized how that sounded to his mom so he turned to face her looking as impassive as she was angry. "I mean, I was in the city. I made some friends and they took me to an arcade. It was…interesting."

At that, Chi Chi was stunned, completely caught off-guard. Out of all the answers she could have expected, that was not one of them. To be honest, she wondered where Gohan went during the day, but she usually gave him free rein. Still, going over to the city alone? "Did you visit Bulma?"

Gohan nodded, for it wasn't a lie. "Yeah, I did. And then I went exploring on my own and went to the mall. That's where I met my friends."

A fond smile appeared on the mother's face. Gohan was so much like Goku, and he had that friendly disposition that could attract anyone. "Well, I'm glad you had fun. Do you want something to eat?"

"I had a late lunch," Gohan explained, "but I'm sure I'll be hungry in an hour. It's okay, don't worry. I'll put the food away and eat something later."

"Are you sure?" Chi Chi asked skeptically.

Gohan only smiled, and it was the most genuine she had seen on him in a while. "I'm sure. Thanks, mom."

Her son went to work on putting the food away as he said, and seemed much happier and lighter. It was a refreshing change to see her little boy seemingly so content. He had done something new to him today that allowed him to experience a "normal" childhood experience. He didn't have very many of those. That was all well and good, for she understood the reasons behind it. Gohan was only half-Earthling. He had incredible strength, and he had been fighting evil for so long. Now that there was peace, he deserved a break.

Losing Goku had been very difficult for the both of them. There were times Chi Chi thought about his decision not to come back. Even when Gohan told her her husband's reasoning, Chi Chi could come to terms with it. Clearly, Gohan couldn't either for when he told her his voice seemed hollow.

For the longest time during both of their grief, Gohan had been distant and hollow, but he had been starting to become a little more outgoing. He came out of his room more, and now she found out that he had gone to the city. She knew any mother wouldn't let their children run off like that, but Gohan wasn't like other children, and Chi Chi accepted that. Gohan, after all, was her little boy.

Her hands went to her abdomen smiling. They were going to be okay, no matter what. She could see that now that Gohan was already feeling a little better. It was a process, but their family was strong and full of fighters. "Oh, Goku," she hummed. "You would be so proud of him."


End file.
